ESR12. Enhanced Durability of bituminous layers by studing Binders' Microstructure (DuraBM)

Objectives:

To increase the durability of urban pavements, decrease the need for road construction, and decrease interruptions, annoyance and risks to users, society and the economy. To evaluate the use of ageing prohibitors, rejuvenators, and additives to increase the amount of recycled asphalt and make bituminous binders adaptable to local aggregate resources.

• Task 12.1: understand the microstructural features of bitumen and their effects on the macroscale behaviour.
• Task 12.2: analyse links between microstructure, ageing and mechanical behaviour using microstructural modelling.
• Task 12.3: analyse binders employed in urban pavements with microscopy methods (AFM, ESEM, fluorescent microscopy) together with spectroscopic methods (FTIR, CLSM) and rheological analysis (DSR, BBR, DRR).
• Task 12.4: assess the use of additives to increase the amount of recycled asphalt & increase binder-aggregate compatibility.

Expected Results:

• Definition of a multi-scale approach to understand the main characteristics of the constituent materials affecting the resistance of pavements to traffic, climate and ageing.
• New routine methods for the mix-design based on durability assessment starting from constituents.
• Contribution to the development of an asphalt “genome” library with information mapping the chemistry, microstructure and engineering properties of bitumen.

Host Institutions:

Vienna University of Technology

Supervisors:

B. Hofko (TUWIEN) (Wien, AUSTRIA)

A. Bhasin (UTA) (Austin, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

R. Hess (DRC) (Bonn, GERMANY)